NOTE: This edition may be clipped due to length—click "View entire message" to read the full newsletter. | | Reflecting on Iowa History Month 2026 | | For over 40 years, Iowa History Month has invited Iowans to discover the people and stories that shaped our state—and this year was no exception. It was an exciting and active month packed with events, lively conversations, and meaningful connections to our shared past. | | SHSI State Curator Hanna Howard speaks with Channel 5 anchor Emily Carlson to help spread the word about Iowa History Month in early March. | | Throughout March, the State Historical Society of Iowa welcomed visitors to a wide range of programs—filling tours (nearly all at max capacity!), enjoying family-friendly collection visits, tuning in for lunch-hour webinars, testing your knowledge at Trivia Night with concessions by Baratta’s Restaurant, and catching a screening of The Music Man at Varsity Cinema. Readers across Iowa followed along with our Iowa History Month Sunday essay series in partnership with the The Des Moines Register, available free of charge throughout March. Written by SHSI staff, history professionals, and members of our board, these essays are now archived on our website. | | SHSI Learning and Engagement Manager Matthew Jayne leads families on a special Family Collections Tour for Iowa History Month. | | Iowa History Trivia Night participants team up to answer questions for prizes in the State Historical Building's Café, led by Anthony Taylor. | | SHSI Conservation Specialist Nickole Swensen leads visitors on a Fashion and Textile Exhibit Tour for Iowa History Month. | | | | |
Revisit our FREE Iowa History Month Sunday essay series with The Des Moines Register Iowa Life section on our website, exploring the people, places, and stories that shaped our state.
The State Historical Society of Iowa extends our sincere thanks to the Register for this valued collaboration and for helping us share Iowa’s stories with readers across the state.
| | Iowa History March Madness Championship Round | |
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Our bracket-style Iowa History March Madness Tournament, continues this first week of April for the final "championship round" vote. What began as 32 influential figures during Iowa History Month has come down to two finalists—Poweshiek (the "Goldfinch Bracket" champion) vs. George Washington Carver (the "Geode Bracket" champion):
• Poweshiek led the Meskwaki during a time of upheaval, helping his people avoid the Black Hawk War and later advocating for their return to Iowa and independence after forced removal.
• Carver, born into slavery, rose to become a pioneering agricultural scientist. After studying at Simpson College and Iowa State University, he earned a master’s degree and became its first Black faculty member.
Explore the full brackets to learn about these remarkable Iowans and cast your vote for the winner April 6–9 for the Championship Round (voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on the April 6)!
| | Few Spots Remain for Underground Railroad Bus Trip | | | | |
Seats are still available on our Underground Railroad road trip, and non-members may now register.
Join us Saturday, April 18, for a one-day trip with State Historical Society of Iowa Administrator Valerie Van Kooten to southwest Iowa’s Underground Railroad sites. As we approach America 250, this tour highlights Iowa’s role in the nation’s long journey toward liberty, with stops at the John Todd House Museum and Hitchcock House.
The trip includes round-trip transportation from Des Moines, entrance fees and docent-led tours, a catered lunch in Tabor, and driver gratuity.
Seats are limited, secure your spot today!
| | Volunteer Judges Needed for NHD State Contest | | | | |
Support Iowa students as they share their projects at the National History Day in Iowa State Contest! We’re still in need of 25 volunteer judges to help evaluate student work and create a positive, encouraging experience for more than 500 young historians.
📅 Monday, April 27
📍 ISU Scheman Building, Ames
No experience is needed, and training is provided. Must be 18 or older to participate. Please consider signing up—and share this opportunity with your network!
| | State Historical Society of Iowa Board of Trustees Election | | |
The SHSI Board of Trustees currently has one open position for election and your vote helps shape the future of Iowa’s history. Ballots will be mailed to all members of the State Historical Society of Iowa during the week of April 6. Simply complete yours and return it using the enclosed postage-paid envelope. To be counted, ballots must be postmarked by Monday, May 4. Election results will be ratified and announced on May 28.
Not a member yet? There’s still time to take part. Visit the Membership page of our website to join. (Members who sign up after April 6 can request a ballot by email and must still meet the May 4 postmark deadline.)
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April brings another month of events, tours, and storytelling that honors the people and places that define our state. Here's what's ahead:
| | May Deadline Approaching for FY2027 HRDP Grants | | Since 2020, the State Historical Society of Iowa has invested over $3 million into local communities. Now it’s your turn to help keep Iowa’s story alive! Applications are officially open for the Historical Resource Development Program (HRDP) and the Country School Preservation Grant for the 2027 Fiscal Year! Whether you are restoring a landmark, digitizing an archive, or protecting a piece of rural history, these competitive grants provide the resources to ensure Iowa’s treasures aren’t lost to time. | | | |
About HRDP Grants:
Historical Resource Development Program (HRDP)
These grants support projects in three categories: Documentary Collections, Historic Preservation, and Museums.
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Who: Nonprofits, Governments, Tribes, Individuals, and For-Profit businesses.
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What: Up to $50,000 (required match applies).
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Deadline: May 1, 2026 for July 1, 2026–Nov. 30, 2028 funding period.
Country School Preservation Grant
An HRDP grant specifically for the maintenance and interpretation of Iowa’s iconic one-room or two-room country schools.
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Who: Nonprofits, Governments, Tribes, Individuals, and For-Profit businesses.
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What: Up to $5,000 (1:1 match required).
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Deadline: May 1, 2026 for July 1, 2026–Nov. 30, 2028 funding period.
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Plan Ahead: Register Now for SHSI Summer Day Camps | |
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Registration for the State Historical Society of Iowa’s popular summer day camps opens to the general public on Friday, January 16 at noon. Camp options for K–12 students include family day camps, young writers workshops, curator camps and new offerings such as a podcasting camp.
SHSI summer camps make a fun, affordable way to keep young explorers curious, engaged, and thriving during their time off. Hurry! These programs fill quickly.
BONUS: SHSI Members receive 10 percent discount off registrations with code MEMBER26 at checkout—become a member today!
For questions or more information, email museum.education@iowa.gov.
| | | | Celebrating National Deaf History Month | | |
April 1-30 marks National Deaf History Month, a time to recognize the rich history, culture, and contributions of Deaf and hard of hearing communities.
This observance is rooted in three pivotal milestones in deaf education: the opening of America’s first public school for the deaf on April 15, 1817; the founding of Gallaudet University on April 8, 1864 and the first higher education institution for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students. First introduced by the National Association of the Deaf in 1997, the celebration gained broader national recognition through a 2006 partnership with the American Library Association.
| | Audio transcription technology, the “Otter” app, is one of the deaf accessibility features available with the State Historical Museum’s iPads. | |
| One of many sand art pieces by Deaf Iowan artist Andrew Clemens in the State Historical Society's collection, available for viewing. | |
| A captioned video in the Hollywood in the Heartland Exhibit, one of several accessibility features within the State Historical Museum. | |
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Explore Iowa's remarkable past at the State Historical Building and Museum. Come see new exhibits, amazing historical artifact, and more at the State Historical Building (600 E Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50319).
Museum Hours of operation
Tuesday–Friday: 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Visit history.iowa.gov for more information.
| | Access Iowa's History with SHSI's Collections | | | | |
